Dakota Creek awarded $26.7M contract modification for Navy tugboats

Jan. 10 (UPI) — The U.S. Navy awarded a $26.7 million contract modification to Dakota Creek Industries for the company’s detail design and construction of two more 808-class harbor tugboats.

The modification builds on a previous Dakota Creek contract for the detail design and construction of four tugboats, the U.S. Defense Department said in a release Wednesday.

Each of the two new, 90-foot tugboats will include accessories such as a 50-man inflatable apparatus and life boat. Other possible accessories include a hoisting system, additional life rafts, towing lights and electronic navigation charts.

Dakota Creek’s construction of the six tugboats is expected to begin early this year, the company says on its website.

Dakota Creek will work on the contract from Anacortes, Wash., where the company is based, and is expected to complete the contract requirements by August 2021.

The Navy is funding the contract with $13.3 million in fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion funds and $13.4 million in fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion funds at the time of the award.